Exodus 3:12
in Exodus 3“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be the token unto thee, that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
KJV
And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
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This verse in Exodus 3
Commentary
7 notes on this verseCertainly I will be with thee - This great event shall not be left to thy wisdom and to thy power; my counsel shall direct thee, and my power shall bring all these mighty things to pass. And this shall be a token - Literally, And This to thee for a sign, i.e., this miraculous manifestation of the burning bush shall be a proof that I have sent thee; or, My being with thee, to encourage thy heart, strengthen thy hands, and enable thee to work miracles, shall be to thyself and to others the evidence of thy Divine mission.
This site's exposition
Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh
on Exodus 3:11-12
This is the first of five objections Moses raises, at 3:11, 3:13, 4:1, 4:10 and 4:13, and the answer given here speaks about God rather than about Moses. Certainly I will be with thee moves the question off the man and onto the one sending him. The token offered can be checked only after the errand is finished, since the token is that the people will serve God on this mountain, which happens at 19:1 and 19:2. The word serve is the Hebrew abad, the root Exodus 1:13 and 1:14 use five times over for the bondage, so what is asked of Pharaoh is a change of master.
This site's exposition
I will surely be with you
God answers Moses' question about who he is with a promise of His presence. The sign He gives lies in the future, for when the people have come out they will worship God on this same mountain, as they do at Sinai in chapter 19. Adam Clarke allows two readings of the sign, either the burning bush itself or God's presence with Moses shown in his miracles.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And he said, certainly I will be with thee,....
He promises him his presence: Certainly I will be with thee, and that is enough. Note, Those that are weak in themselves may yet do wonders, being strong in the Lord and in the power of his might; and those that are most diffident of themselves may be most confident in God.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
But he evinced great reluctance to it and stated a variety of objections [Ex 3:11, 13; 4:1, 10] all of which were successfully met and removed--and the happy issue of his labors was minutely described.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
A token unto thee - Or the sign. The word means a declaration or promise of God, which rests absolutely on His word, and demands faith. The promise that God would have the people serve Him in that place was an assurance, if fully believed, that all intervening obstacles would be removed by His power.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
WHAT IS HIS NAME? WHAT SHALL I SAY UNTO THEM? This verse calls aloud for an explanation. It is incomprehensible that Moses should say, And they shall say unto me: What is His name? meaning that this will be a sign to them to believe in him.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
AND MOSES SAID…WHO AM I. There is no difference between the words ani (I) and anokhi (I).
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֶֽהְיֶ֣ה | ʾehyeh | I will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עִמָּ֔ךְ | ʾimakh | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| וְזֶה־ | vezeh- | and this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| לְּךָ֣ | lekha | for <the> you | ||
| הָא֔וֹת | haot | [will be] the sign | H226 → | 80 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אָנֹכִ֖י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| שְׁלַחְתִּ֑יךָ | shelachtikha | I sent you | H7971 → | 845 times |
| בְּהוֹצִֽיאֲךָ֤ | behotziakha | when bringing out you | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעָם֙ | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם | mimitzrayim | from Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| תַּֽעַבְדוּן֙ | taavdun | you will serve ! | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| עַ֖ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָהָ֥ר | hahar | the mountain | H2022 → | 546 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אֶֽהְיֶ֣הI will be
ʾehyehH1961 →3559 times
עִמָּ֔ךְwith you
ʾimakhH5973 →1050 times
וְזֶה־and this
vezeh-H2088 →1180 times
לְּךָ֣for <the> you
lekha
הָא֔וֹת[will be] the sign
haotH226 →80 times
כִּ֥יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אָנֹכִ֖יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
שְׁלַחְתִּ֑יךָI sent you
shelachtikhaH7971 →845 times
בְּהוֹצִֽיאֲךָ֤when bringing out you
behotziakhaH3318 →1067 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעָם֙the people
haamH5971 →1873 times
מִמִּצְרַ֔יִםfrom Egypt
mimitzrayimH4714 →641 times
תַּֽעַבְדוּן֙you will serve !
taavdunH5647 →288 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
עַ֖לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
הָהָ֥רthe mountain
haharH2022 →546 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 41:10Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
it leads to
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 31:6–8
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Isaiah 43:1–2
Now this is what the LORD says— He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your…
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- Romans 8:31
Through
Romans 8:31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
it leads to
- Psalms 118:6
The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- Jeremiah 1:19
They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
- Psalms 56:11
in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- Psalms 118:6
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Worship35 verses
On this page
Studies9
On this verse
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.